Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 40 mins Cook Time: 25 mins

Ingredients

• 24 ounces all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 23 ounces granulated sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 18 ounces canned pumpkin
• 2/3 cup water
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs
• 12 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 dash salt
• 1 egg
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
• roasted pumpkin seeds (pepitas) (optional)

Recipe

• 1 muffin: whisk dry ingredients together in large bowl, then add pumpkin and mix until well blended. slowly add eggs, mixing until well incorporated. then, add water and oil and mix again until well incorporated. batter can be refrigerated for 2-3 days if needed.
• 2 filling: whip cream cheese in electric mixer on med. to med. high speed until very smooth and no lumps remain. add sugar and salt and whip for one minute or until smooth again.add eggs and vanilla, whip for two minutes. scrape the bowl thoroughly, then whip again for two more minutes or until completely smooth. refrigerate.
• 3 topping: combine sugar, cinnamon & butter with a fork until well blended. refrigerate until ready for use.
• 4 assembly: fill 1/3 of muffin tin with pumpkin batter. add scoop of cream cheese filling, then fill rest of tin with muffin batter, until tin is just under 3/4 full. use finger to seal top layer of batter around cream cheese, if need be. sprinkle lightly with topping and a few seeds (if desired), and bake at 350 degrees for 15-25 minutes or until set and cake springs back when touched. let cool completely before serving--best slightly chilled.